Tag: 3BL

Every October, Canada celebrates efforts to create a more sustainable future with both  Waste Reduction Week and Circular Economy Month, providing an opportune time to discuss how food waste can be leveraged to address not just environmental, but also economic and social issues.

Food waste: a mounting challenge for global carbon emissions

Food waste represents 30% of the municipal waste stream. And when disposed of in a landfill it becomes a significant source of methane — a potent greenhouse gas. Around the world, countries are faced with increasing concerns as food waste in landfills contributes to approximately eight percent of total carbon emissions, posing a challenge to government efforts to achieve ambitious climate goals. The global effort to promote decarbonization requires advanced technologies and a vision for keeping food waste out of landfills.

Anaerobic digestion: A sustainable solution for decarbonization

One solution that has proven to be effective in addressing the challenge of food waste is anaerobic digestion (AD). Anaerobic digestion is becoming an increasingly attractive option for municipalities and industries in Canada and around the world. It offers a way to divert and process food waste.

By implementing anaerobic digestion, food waste can be efficiently converted into renewable energy and biofertilizers, reducing its impact on the environment and helping Canada and other countries achieve its environmental goals. State-of-the-art facilities convert these materials into both renewable energy and valuable soil products for agricultural and other land based applications.

How anaerobic digestion works

Today’s AD facilities are large and complex operations. There are three predominant technologies currently being used in the processing of municipal and commercial organics — wet, dry and plug flow technologies. These technologies are primarily selected by the feedstocks they receive from municipal and/or commercial sources as well as the desired outputs from the process.

In Canada, municipalities are moving to source separated organics collection as the wet technology process generates better biogas production.  It is important to note that AD facilities are entirely different from traditional waste materials handling and logistics as they are more complex, with a focus on biology and chemistry.

A critical component of an AD process is the pre-treatment of feedstocks. Municipal organic waste feedstock can have a high plastic content if the collection of food wastes is in plastic bags. The pre-treatment system removes the inert contaminants and other non-digestible elements. The remaining contaminant-free organic slurry is processed through an anaerobic digestion system where the organics are converted to biogas and digester solids.

Food waste organics can be put to many sustainable uses

Biogas can be used in many beneficial ways:

It can be used to produce heat and electricityBy removing the carbon dioxide, it can create a biomethane injected into the gas grid as a renewable natural gas to power homes, businesses and vehicles

Digestate, meanwhile, is a nutrient-rich substance containing nitrogen and phosphates that can be used to:

Condition soilServe as a fertilizer for agriculture purposes

Advanced operators can also co-digest municipal source-separated organics with biosolids at wastewater treatment facilities for communities seeking to leverage their existing AD infrastructure.

In addition to stand-alone AD facilities, organic food wastes can also be processed at wastewater treatment facilities. As many wastewater treatment facilities already have anaerobic digesters, there is the potential to add more organics at underutilized facilities. This option is particularly attractive to communities seeking to leverage existing municipal infrastructure as well as an option for neighboring communities to send their organic wastes for processing.

The use of on-farm digesters is another option for processing municipal and commercial organic wastes; however, at much lower volumes given regulatory constraints.

Investing in AD

With an increasing demand for sustainability and resource efficiency, municipalities and businesses are investing in comprehensive processing programs to extract maximum value from organic waste. The aim is to produce agriculturally beneficial byproducts, offset operational costs, and generate renewable energy from biogas, all part of a growing circular economy.

These programs involve complex planning and require extensive knowledge of:

The processing of municipal and commercial food and yard wastesWastewater treatmentSludge concentration processesThermal processesProduct marketing and distributionLand applicationEnergy recovery

How AD is paving the way for decarbonization

Anaerobic digestion is a sustainable solution to the food waste crisis and supports decarbonization efforts. By investing in AD, municipalities and businesses can contribute to a circular economy and a more sustainable future. By embracing a holistic approach, we can both mitigate the environmental impact of food waste and create valuable resources for a more prosperous and resilient society.

A few years ago, T-Mobile made a commitment to the people of rural America: they would not be left behind in the 5G era. Small communities would be covered by 5G to enhance their connectivity needs at home, on the farm, on the move, and at school. This was – and is – part of our long-term dedication to the prosperity of rural communities.

We’ve built nearly 500,000 square miles of new 5G coverage across rural America and doubled our retail presence with 600 stores that provide vital in-person service options. I am especially proud of our Hometown Grants program, a $25 million investment in 500 rural towns over five years to jumpstart projects like upgrading tech at a local library, building hiking trails and parks, revitalizing historic buildings, and more. And we’ve helped bridge the digital divide with Project 10Million, and by adding broadband internet access for millions of homes and small businesses.

We’re going big in small-town America. And that’s why we launched Friday Night 5G Lights.

This month we teamed up with four-time Super Bowl champion Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski to kick off an awesome program to showcase small communities (of up to 150,000 people) across America and set up one grand prize-winning school with a multi-million-dollar football field tech upgrade!

This one is personal for me, because growing up in Odessa, Texas, Friday nights in the fall meant one thing: football. Fun fact: My high school, Permian, was the basis of the book, movie and TV show “Friday Night Lights!”

Since we launched the program on August 1, the response has been incredible. Already, more than 1,000 high schools have entered! What would you change about Friday Night Lights in your town? So far, we’ve heard that schools are excited about new scoreboards, safer turf and new weight rooms (courtesy of our partner Gronk).

Anyone can visit FridayNight5GLights.com to download digital trading card templates and get into the action. And don’t forget: Friday Night 5G Lights isn’t just for one grand prize winner – sixteen finalists will get a $25,000 cash grant.

Plus, every high school that enters is automatically eligible for a chance to win $5,000 in T-Mobile’s “$5K Fridays” weekly sweepstakes. Now until September 20, T-Mobile will randomly select 50 schools each week – totaling 300 – to win $5,000. The entire community can join the fun by posting their school spirit on Instagram to increase the odds of their high school winning some extra cash for new equipment, sports gear or transportation expenses. Don’t forget to tag your school’s official Instagram handle and @tmobile, and use the hashtags #Sweepstakes and #FN5GL to ensure each entry is counted.

This is my favorite part of the program – seeing high schools from across the country show their school spirit on social media. Just search #FN5GL on Instagram and you will see around 4,000 creative posts from schools across the U.S.

In a recent post, @greenwoodpublicschools said, “Friday night football at Greenwood High School is different than anywhere else. There are so many groups of people, such as cheer/dance, band, ROTC, the fans and our youth football players that make it so special to play here on a Friday night. You have to be here to experience it.”

We are also spotlighting high schools each week on FridayNight5GLights.com to share their stories. South Caldwell High School in Hudson, South Carolina, shared, “On Friday nights, the entire community comes alive, united by a shared passion and pride. It’s more than just a game; it’s a heartfelt gathering where everyone rallies behind a team that embodies their spirit and dreams on the football field.”

The competition is heating up and I can’t wait to see more small towns show us why they deserve some tech to light up their Friday nights.

Check out the first batch of 50 “$5K Fridays” weekly sweepstakes winners.

Alabama: Buckhorn High School, Hartselle High School, Section High School and Springville High School

Arkansas: Greenwood High School and Lincoln High School

California: Hughson High School, La Quinta High School and Paradise High School

Florida: LaBelle High School

Georgia: Lanier High School and Troup County High School

Iowa: Ballard High School and Bettendorf High School

Illinois: Harlem High School and Larkin High School

Kentucky: Martha Layne Collins High School and Webster County High School

Louisiana: Beau Chene High School and Benton High School

Michigan: Buchanan High School, Cadillac High School, Montrose Hill McCloy High School and Sandusky Jr./Sr. High School

Minnesota: KMS Public Schools (Kerkhoven – Murdock – Sunburg)

Missouri: Gallatin High School

Mississippi: Jefferson County High School

North Carolina: Northside High School (Jacksonville)

New Jersey: Kittatinny Regional High School

Oregon: North Medford High School and Redmond High School

Pennsylvania: McGuffey High School, New Oxford High School, West York High School and York County School of Technology

South Carolina: Kingstree High School and Rock Hill High School

Tennessee: Marion County High School, Walker Valley High School and Wartburg Central High School

Texas: Bandera High School, Del Rio High School, Dumas High School, Lytle High School and Rogers High School

Washington: Lakeside High School

Wisconsin: Baldwin-Woodville HS, Columbus High School and Shiocton High School

West Virginia: Robert C. Byrd High School

Clorox’s environmental, social and governance goals are integrated into our IGNITE strategy because we believe they create value for our company, brands, people and communities. We’ve focused on areas where we can make the biggest impact, and much of our progress is realized through the work of our purpose-driven brands.

Following the debut of Pine-Sol’s new, more concentrated line of multisurface cleaners earlier this year, we spoke with Katie Leber, our Pine-Sol brand manager, about how the brand is delivering high-quality, effective cleaning solutions.

Reformulating a cleaning product is no small task — what prompted Pine-Sol to take this next step in its product journey?

Pine-Sol has offered consumers an effective, dilutable, versatile cleaning solution at an affordable price for nearly a century. We know our consumers already dilute Pine-Sol with water to make it the right strength for different jobs, whether mopping, spraying down their shower, rinsing out a trash can or wiping dust off baseboards. So, when this project was kicked off a few years ago, it seemed like the perfect time to bring consumers an even more concentrated formula in smaller, easier to manage bottles that leveraged the dilution behavior they were used to.

What about this new Pine-Sol offering makes it more sustainable?

The new concentrated Pine-Sol was formulated to have twice the cleaning power in every drop, meaning you only need a bottle half the size to make the same amount of cleaning solution as before. Using smaller bottles — 40% smaller for retail and 50% smaller for professional — means we’re using less plastic to give consumers the same benefit. This also reduces the amount of water we’re shipping per dose, with the goal of reducing our shipping footprint.

Reducing plastic and other waste in packaging is a priority for our company. What steps were taken to make the materials used in the design of these bottles more sustainable?

In addition to reducing the amount of plastic used, these new Pine-Sol bottles are made with a minimum of 50% post-consumer recycled plastic, which is a big step toward our 2025 corporate sustainability goals. We plan to continue to increase the PCR in our bottles until we get to 100%.

Our journey to reduce plastic isn’t just about following trends — it’s about leading by example and setting a new standard for sustainability in our industry. We’re rethinking our packaging and designing products that are environmentally conscious without sacrificing quality.

How does this Pine-Sol innovation align with broader sustainability commitments in our company’s IGNITE strategy?

As is true with all Clorox products, minimizing waste is top of mind for Pine-Sol when we formulate, manufacture and package our products because delivering value to our consumers means helping them reduce the environmental impact left behind. This innovation specifically contributes to Clorox’s ESG goal of 50% combined reduction in virgin plastic and fiber packaging by 2030 by both reducing the total plastic used by the brand and shifting to post-consumer-recycled plastic.

CALGARY, Alberta, August 29, 2024 /3BL/ – Benevity, Inc., the leading global provider of social impact software, today announced the appointment of Christopher Maloof as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective Sept. 3, 2024. This leadership transition marks a significant milestone as Benevity embraces its next phase of growth as the world’s leading enterprise impact platform.

Chris succeeds Kelly Schmitt who chose to step down as CEO after a successful six-year tenure at Benevity. During that time, Kelly helped lead the company in surpassing $15-billion in donations and a $1-billion valuation, while achieving profitability in a challenging market. She assembled a world-class leadership team and supported many of the world’s top companies with their CSR and employee engagement programs. Under Kelly’s guidance, Benevity has solidified its position as the market leader and led the way in empowering companies to engage their people, communities and customers to drive more social impact globally.

“I am exceptionally proud of the work we’ve done to build Benevity into a truly global company with many of the best companies in the world as our clients. It has been the privilege of my lifetime to work alongside our founder Bryan de Lottinville and the incredibly talented, passionate team at Benevity,” said Kelly Schmitt, Benevity’s Chief Executive Officer. “I am excited to pass the baton to Chris, a seasoned executive with a track record of accelerating performance and scale in high-growth companies, to champion this next stage of Benevity’s journey.”

As Benevity has evolved into a global market-leading enterprise impact platform, Chris is ideally suited to step into the role of CEO, build on the strong foundation that already exists and drive Benevity’s strategic initiatives to new heights. Chris brings with him a wealth of experience in product development, global business strategy and organizational growth and deep expertise in leading scaled enterprise SaaS companies. He has also worked with a host of impact-oriented organizations including nonprofits, national parks and credit unions.

In his previous roles as President and Chief Product Officer at public company MeridianLink, Chris led the company in its mission to democratize access to financing in local communities and played a crucial role in launching multiple new products, expanding the company’s customer base and partner marketplace, driving strategic acquisitions, supporting the company’s digital transformation initiatives and ultimately charting a growth path to a successful IPO.

“Chris has exceptional experience leading organizations focused on growth, scale and efficiency. He is also aligned with Benevity’s mission and understands what it means to be part of a purpose-driven organization.”

— Bryan de Lottinville, Benevity founder and Board member 

“Chris has exceptional experience leading organizations focused on growth, scale and efficiency,” said Benevity founder and Board member Bryan de Lottinville. “He is also aligned with Benevity’s mission and understands what it means to be part of a purpose-driven organization. The Board of Directors welcomes him as Benevity’s new CEO and is confident that he is the right leader to shepherd Benevity as it continues to help realize the mammoth potential for corporations to use their reach, resources and people to build a better future for us all. I want to thank Kelly for her tremendous leadership and influence in driving Benevity’s many successes over the past six years in her roles as both CFO and CEO. She has been a prodigious steward of the company and an inspiring role model for many.”

“It is terrific to be joining Benevity at such an exciting point in its journey,” said Chris Maloof, Benevity’s incoming Chief Executive Officer. “Benevity has a strong foundation as a business, is incredibly successful and has a deep culture of service. There is a great opportunity to meaningfully expand upon what the team has built. It is a privilege to be able to collaborate with customers, partners, nonprofits and the Benevity team to chart the future and accelerate our impact going forward.”

With Chris at the helm as CEO, Benevity is poised to further define its category, advance its enterprise impact platform strategy and continue setting the standard for social impact engagement solutions worldwide.

To learn more about Benevity’s leadership team and commitment to helping organizations power their CSR programs, visit Benevity’s website.

About Benevity

Benevity, a certified B Corporation, is the leading global provider of social impact software, providing the only integrated suite of community investment and employee, customer and nonprofit engagement solutions. Recognized as one of Fortune’s Impact 20, Benevity offers cloud solutions that power purpose for many iconic brands in ways that better attract, retain and engage today’s diverse workforce, embed social action into their customer experiences and positively impact their communities. With software that is available in 22 languages, Benevity has processed more than $15 billion in donations and 79 million hours of volunteering time to support 470,000 nonprofits worldwide. The company’s solutions have also facilitated 1.3 million micro-actions and managed 845,000 grants worth $16 billion. For more information, visit benevity.com

Media Contact:

Jill Borra│Director, Content Marketing & Communications │press@benevity.com

====

CALGARY, Alberta, August 29, 2024 /3BL/ – Benevity, Inc., the leading global provider of social impact software, today announced the appointment of Christopher Maloof as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective Sept. 3, 2024. This leadership transition marks a significant milestone as Benevity embraces its next phase of growth as the world’s leading enterprise impact platform.

Chris succeeds Kelly Schmitt who chose to step down as CEO after a successful six-year tenure at Benevity. During that time, Kelly helped lead the company in surpassing $15-billion in donations and a $1-billion valuation, while achieving profitability in a challenging market. She assembled a world-class leadership team and supported many of the world’s top companies with their CSR and employee engagement programs. Under Kelly’s guidance, Benevity has solidified its position as the market leader and led the way in empowering companies to engage their people, communities and customers to drive more social impact globally.

“I am exceptionally proud of the work we’ve done to build Benevity into a truly global company with many of the best companies in the world as our clients. It has been the privilege of my lifetime to work alongside our founder Bryan de Lottinville and the incredibly talented, passionate team at Benevity,” said Kelly Schmitt, Benevity’s Chief Executive Officer. “I am excited to pass the baton to Chris, a seasoned executive with a track record of accelerating performance and scale in high-growth companies, to champion this next stage of Benevity’s journey.”

As Benevity has evolved into a global market-leading enterprise impact platform, Chris is ideally suited to step into the role of CEO, build on the strong foundation that already exists and drive Benevity’s strategic initiatives to new heights. Chris brings with him a wealth of experience in product development, global business strategy and organizational growth and deep expertise in leading scaled enterprise SaaS companies. He has also worked with a host of impact-oriented organizations including nonprofits, national parks and credit unions.

In his previous roles as President and Chief Product Officer at public company MeridianLink, Chris led the company in its mission to democratize access to financing in local communities and played a crucial role in launching multiple new products, expanding the company’s customer base and partner marketplace, driving strategic acquisitions, supporting the company’s digital transformation initiatives and ultimately charting a growth path to a successful IPO.

“Chris has exceptional experience leading organizations focused on growth, scale and efficiency. He is also aligned with Benevity’s mission and understands what it means to be part of a purpose-driven organization.”

— Bryan de Lottinville, Benevity founder and Board member 

“Chris has exceptional experience leading organizations focused on growth, scale and efficiency,” said Benevity founder and Board member Bryan de Lottinville. “He is also aligned with Benevity’s mission and understands what it means to be part of a purpose-driven organization. The Board of Directors welcomes him as Benevity’s new CEO and is confident that he is the right leader to shepherd Benevity as it continues to help realize the mammoth potential for corporations to use their reach, resources and people to build a better future for us all. I want to thank Kelly for her tremendous leadership and influence in driving Benevity’s many successes over the past six years in her roles as both CFO and CEO. She has been a prodigious steward of the company and an inspiring role model for many.”

“It is terrific to be joining Benevity at such an exciting point in its journey,” said Chris Maloof, Benevity’s incoming Chief Executive Officer. “Benevity has a strong foundation as a business, is incredibly successful and has a deep culture of service. There is a great opportunity to meaningfully expand upon what the team has built. It is a privilege to be able to collaborate with customers, partners, nonprofits and the Benevity team to chart the future and accelerate our impact going forward.”

With Chris at the helm as CEO, Benevity is poised to further define its category, advance its enterprise impact platform strategy and continue setting the standard for social impact engagement solutions worldwide.

To learn more about Benevity’s leadership team and commitment to helping organizations power their CSR programs, visit Benevity’s website.

About Benevity

Benevity, a certified B Corporation, is the leading global provider of social impact software, providing the only integrated suite of community investment and employee, customer and nonprofit engagement solutions. Recognized as one of Fortune’s Impact 20, Benevity offers cloud solutions that power purpose for many iconic brands in ways that better attract, retain and engage today’s diverse workforce, embed social action into their customer experiences and positively impact their communities. With software that is available in 22 languages, Benevity has processed more than $15 billion in donations and 79 million hours of volunteering time to support 470,000 nonprofits worldwide. The company’s solutions have also facilitated 1.3 million micro-actions and managed 845,000 grants worth $16 billion. For more information, visit benevity.com

Media Contact:

Jill Borra│Director, Content Marketing & Communications │press@benevity.com

====

Originally published in Quest Diagnostics’ 2023 Corporate Responsibility Report

Our employees don’t just hold jobs—they build careers. In 2023, we continued to focus on the hire-to-retire journey for our workforce. Learning and development programs, education assistance, and opportunities to improve our organizational culture make Quest a place to grow and advance.

MY QUEST FOR EDUCATION

Education provides a foundation for our employees to build the careers they want, and we’re supporting them in pursuing their goals. Through our education assistance program, My Quest for Education, we offer up to $5,250 annually in reimbursement for career-related learning, courses, and degrees and up to $8,000 a year to pursue a business-critical degree such as medical laboratory science. Some programs offer eligible employees the opportunity to obtain a degree at little to no out-of-pocket cost.

In 2023, we redesigned the program to improve access and ease of use, leading to over 1,000 employees enrolling—our highest rate of engagement over the last 5 years. My Quest for Education also allows us to more readily promote from within as employees build the skills that match their career interests while meeting the talent needs of the organization. From 2019 through 2023, ~64% of participants in My Quest for Education have made at least 1 career move within our organization, and ~50% have received at least 1 promotion.

Supporting our employees’ career journeys

From their first days of onboarding to leading at the executive level, we invest in our people.

New hires

90-Day Employee Experience Pilot: Comprehensive toolset for managers, including enhanced support for new hires, to onboard employees over a 90-day period. Our pilot with Frontline Logistics resulted in a 13% reduction in voluntary turnover in year 1.

Frontline employees

Patient Services Group Lead Role Development: Program built specifically for frontline group leads to develop peer-to-peer leadership skills and serve as a resource and role model for their colleagues. Piloted in 2023, with an expansion planned in 2024.

Supervisors and managers

Stay Interviews: Retention and trust-building touchpoint for people leaders. In 2023, Quest trained 600 people leaders in conducting Stay Interviews and held 6,000 conversations. This is in addition to 1,500 people leaders trained and 13,000 interviews conducted in 2022.

LeadingQuest Supervisor and Manager Core: Year-long program for supervisors and managers to build critical capabilities and skills, including emotional intelligence, cross-functional relationships, inclusive leadership, and leading change. In 2023, more than 500 new supervisors and managers participated in this training—with approximately 1,250 active frontline leaders developed since 2020.

Mid-level leaders

LeadingQuest for Business Impact: Leadership training specific to the needs of director-level leaders, focused on emotional intelligence, communication, cross-functional relationships, strategic thinking, and inclusion. Launched in 2023, 35 leaders have participated.

Elevate: High-potential program for future executives that includes classroom learning, team-based project work, and executive sponsorship. Piloted in 2023, 24 high-potential leaders have participated.

Executive leadership

Financial Acumen for Business Leaders: Program focused on honing financial skillsets for new and future general managers. To date, over 11% of our senior leadership team have participated.

Executive Coaching: Coaching is used to hone leadership skills and improve effectiveness for executive leaders to assimilate into new or expanded roles. The program is tailored to the individual’s needs and development priorities based on 360-degree feedback.

HOW WE WORK

Equity and health access Governance and ethics Our 5Cs—Customer first, Care, Collaboration, Continuous improvement, and Curiosity—exemplify our culture and are increasingly woven into our leadership development, peer recognition, and performance assessment practices. We frame employee accomplishments and opportunities for growth using the 5Cs and, starting in 2024, will use them to inform employee goals and objectives.

LISTENING TO OUR EMPLOYEES

One of the ways we implement our 5Cs is by listening to our employees and acting on their feedback. We conduct regular pulse surveys that allow us to capture employee sentiment in real time. We’ve also set up an automated reminder system for managers to examine their results and collaboratively put an action plan in place with their team. These pulse surveys allow us to measure our Employee Engagement Index Score, which was above the healthcare industry average in 2023. We have exceeded the healthcare industry benchmark since launching our Employee Insights survey in 2020. In 2024, we will expand our listening strategy to include a new culture survey. This additional enterprise-wide assessment will help us continue to refine how we implement The Quest Way and our 5Cs across the organization.

The impact of the 5Cs extends beyond our team. Read more about how the 5Cs set Quest apart in the experience and care we provide for our patients. To learn about career opportunities at Quest, visit the Career page.

Read more

In the first part of the HeroInside podcast Gore Fabrics Global Business Leader Achim Loeffler and host Tomas Vucurevic talk about the GORE-TEX brand, its beginnings and how it evolved to get the iconic brand that it is today. Achim touches on the foundation of W. L. Gore & Associates by Bill and Vieve Gore in 1958 and explains how their son Bob Gore discovered ePTFE (expanded polytetrafluoroethylene) in 1969 by rapidly stretching it under certain conditions. With that he not only enabled completely new opportunities for a myriad of product applications, but also laid the groundwork to develop waterproof, windproof and breathable laminates for fabrics in the apparel and footwear industry. In 1976, Gore receives its first commercial order for GORE‑TEX fabric — the first breathable, waterproof, and windproof fabric on the market. 

In 1989, the famous GORE‑TEX GUARANTEED TO KEEP YOU DRY® promise is introduced. Giving a guarantee on a finished product by an ingredient brand was unprecedented. It underlined Gore’s absolute commitment to customer and consumer satisfaction and was a big milestone to build trust among brand partners, retailers and end users. The next decades were characterized by developing the value chain, further building the brand and broadening the technology and product portfolio to new product forms and end uses. One important focus is the partnership with retailers, another one driving innovation in existing and new products and technologies, like footwear, gloves and accessories. Launching a direct-to-consumer brand with Gore BikeWear at that time, today it’s GOREWEAR, was another milestone. The brand quick became known for commitment, excellence and innovation in the professional cycling community. The other direct-to-consumer brand is SITKA, a premium brand in the hunting space. Part 1 of the episode closes with Achim’s conclusion that the GORE-TEX Brand stands for a combination of protection, comfort and sustainability.

Want to learn more? Listen to the HeroInside podcast with Achim Loeffler hosted by Tomas Vucurevic

Achim Löffler: GORE-TEX – The iconic Ingredient Brand’s journey to responsible performance (Part 1) (youtube.com) 

Education holds immense power in shaping the leaders and innovators of tomorrow, and we are passionate about preparing students for the demands of the 21st century workforce. This is why we partner with schools, educators, and local nonprofit organizations to outfit AMD Learning Labs with AMD processor-based equipment, helping empower teachers and inspire students to pursue STEM education.

As of December 2023, AMD sponsored labs are installed in Dublin, Markham, Shanghai, Singapore, Penang, Austin, and San Jose. These AMD Learning Labs support the expansion of STEM curricula and opportunities for under-resourced educational programs. Students gain real-world experience with computer hardware and software and engage with AMD employee volunteers. They also develop skills in robotics, coding, app development, and website and game design, as well as improving their digital literacy skills. This supports reasoning and skills development, giving them a foundation for future success.

In 2023, AMD and Maynooth University came together to establish an AMD Learning Lab in Dublin, Ireland to support the “STEM Passport for Inclusion” program, created by Dr. Katriona O’Sullivan, a Digital Skills Lecturer at Maynooth University. The program addresses inequalities with access to STEM careers among secondary school female students in socially disadvantaged communities. Maynooth uses a well-designed pathway that provides educational qualification, education support, and mentoring from industry role models to help students progress to tertiary (university-level) education and achieve a STEM qualification.

In addition to providing 30 AMD-powered Lenovo laptops, more than 30 AMD employees volunteered as mentors to 800 students over 16 days at the Dublin office.

Meanwhile, in the U.S. the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders, a unique public school, is providing out-of-the-box education strategies and enrichment opportunities that incorporate real-world, hands-on projects that prepare and equip students to tackle big problems with big ideas. High school students complete a college-to-career pathway in STEM fields where women are historically underrepresented.

AMD initially funded a Learning Lab in 2019, and we provided additional funding in 2023, when the school’s Media Technology Pathway’s animation and filmmaking curriculum needed an infusion of technology to meet today’s demands. We were able to provide a professional level file server and video editing workstations powered by AMD EPYC and Ryzen processors that allow students to better edit, render, and collaborate on projects faster and more efficiently.

“We are hugely excited to roll out STEM Passport for Inclusion nationwide. Our goal is to enroll 5,000 students by December 2024 from underrepresented schools across Maynooth University, Munster Technological University, and Atlantic Technological University. With the generous support of AMD, we conducted over 50 mentoring sessions and provided STEM education to over 480 students. The invaluable contribution from supporters like AMD is instrumental in making this project a reality.”

– DR KATRIONA O’SULLIVAN DIGITAL SKILLS LECTURER MAYNOOTH UNIVERSITY & BEST-SELLING AUTHOR

Read more at https://www.amd.com/en/corporate/corporate-responsibility/digital-impact.html

Originally published in AMD 2023-24 Corporate Responsibility Report.

Three cheers for Team Kohler, who raced to a gold medal victory at the 2024 Dragon Boat Races!

Members of our Asian Resources of Kohler business resource group led two teams of nearly 50 associates to race against local organizations at this year’s Milwaukee Dragon Boat Festival. Team Kohler 1 emerged victorious in their division, securing first place with a record-breaking finish time.

The fun-filled day continued with traditional Chinese performances, music, games, and cuisine—an unforgettable day of teambuilding and camaraderie!

AEG’s LA Galaxy, in partnership with Herbalife and the U.S. Soccer Foundation, unveiled a new mini-pitch at Rio Vista Elementary School in Pico Rivera, CA, on August 19, 2024 that is designed to offer local children a safe and dedicated space to play soccer. The new facility transforms an underutilized spaces into vibrant areas that celebrate the spirit of teamwork, empowerment, and fitness through the excitement of soccer.

The opening included a ribbon cutting ceremony hosted by the El Rancho Unified School District where LA Galaxy President of Business Operations and Chief Operating Officer Tom Braun and LA Galaxy’s head athletic trainer, Cesar Roldan, provided remarks . The ceremony was followed by an exclusive soccer clinic led by LA Galaxy players Jalen Neal, Edwin Cerrillo, and Mauricio Cuevas for more than 50 youth soccer players from Rio Vista Elementary.

“We are thrilled about the installation of the mini-pitch at Rio Vista Elementary School. Growing up in Pico Rivera, I know firsthand how vital spaces like this are for our youth,” said Roldan. “It’s more than just a place to play soccer; it’s a community hub where kids can come together, dream, and grow. This pitch will help us continue providing access to free soccer and safe places for young people to learn and play the game.”

Herbalife is a premier health and wellness company and community that has been changing people’s lives with great nutrition products and a business opportunity for its independent distributors since 1980. The Company offers science-backed products to consumers in more than 90 markets through entrepreneurial distributors who provide one-on-one coaching and a supportive community that inspires customers to embrace a healthier, more active lifestyle to live their best life. For more information, please visit Herbalife.com.

The U.S. Soccer Foundation’s programs are the national model for sports-based youth development in underserved communities. Since its founding in 1994, the Foundation has established programs proven to help children embrace an active and healthy lifestyle while nurturing their personal growth beyond sports. Its cost-effective, high-impact initiatives offer safe environments where kids and communities thrive. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Soccer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. For more information visit http://www.ussoccerfoundation.org.

The LA Galaxy is Major League Soccer’s most successful club. Based in Carson, Calif. at Dignity Health Sports Park, the Galaxy have won the MLS Cup a record five times (2002, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2014), the MLS Supporters’ Shield four times (1998, 2002, 2010, 2011) and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup twice (2001, 2005), and one Concacaf Champions Cup (2000) since their inception in 1996. Under the direction of LA Galaxy President of Business Operations and Chief Operating Officer Tom Braun on the business operations side and LA Galaxy Head Coach and Sporting Director Greg Vanney on the soccer operations side, the Galaxy are the premier club in MLS, with stars like Landon Donovan, David Beckham, Robbie Keane, Steven Gerrard, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Javier Hernandez, Cobi Jones, Riqui Puig and Marco Reus representing LA over the team’s 29 years in MLS. For more information on the LA Galaxy, visit www.lagalaxy.com.